These share Epson’s 3-chip 3LCD engine, so the core picture — bright, colorful 1080p that holds up in lit rooms — is essentially the same. The EX9270 adds wireless streaming with Apple AirPlay and Miracast, so phones and laptops cast straight to the wall with no stick or cable, plus a larger zoom range for flexible placement. The 980 skips the wireless tricks and simply costs less for the same panel technology. Households that live on AirPlay: the EX9270 earns its premium. Everyone with an HDMI streaming stick already: the 980 is the smarter spend.